Data cards are commonly used to store information for performing transactions. The transactions may, for example, be financial transactions such as purchases performed at a point of sale (“POS”) terminal or cash withdrawals carried out using an automated teller machine (“ATM”). Additionally, data cards may be used to perform other actions including transactions related to identity verification, security access, medical procedures, and machine operation.
Traditional data cards have a single magnetic strip located on a back face of the data card for storing data. Use of such data cards involves reading data stored on the data cards by swiping the data card through, or inserting the data card into, a reading device. For example, in performing financial transactions as described above, the data card may be swiped through a card reader at a POS terminal, or the data card may be inserted into an ATM to read the data stored thereon.
Data card reading devices typically include a magnetic reading mechanism for reading data encoded on the magnetic strip of the traditional data card. Reading of traditional data cards, therefore, requires swiping or inserting the data card such that the magnetic data strip is properly oriented with respect to the reading device. As a result, a cardholder or merchant must determine the proper orientation of the data card before inserting the data card into the ATM or swiping the data card at the POS terminal.
This orientation requirement often necessitates multiple attempts at swiping or inserting the data card before the proper orientation is selected. For example, the ATM or POS terminal may not be marked or not clearly marked with swiping or insertion instructions. Persons with impaired vision may encounter particular difficulty in properly orienting and presenting the data card to the reading device. Furthermore, such reading devices are placed in outdoor locations, which may present additional visibility and security concerns.
Additionally, in some instances a card reading device may be configured to capture and retain a data card that has been improperly presented for reading, requiring a user to perform an inconvenient retrieval process to regain possession of the data card.
Therefore, a need exists for a data card that includes a plurality of data storage sections such as magnetic data strips. For example, two magnetic data strips may be located on the two horizontal edges of the front surface and two magnetic data strips may be located on the two horizontal edges of the back surface of a data card, such that the data card may be swiped or inserted in any orientation by a user without concern for the orientation of the data card.